My reasoning for bringing the two elements together is simple: They both have long noses. I remember the first time I saw a tengu mask. Asides from the obvious phallic suggestions, my next though was that it reminded me of Pinocchio. Anyways, I thought the Japanese American National Museum would be the perfect venue to debut such an idea.I consider this the second in a series of paintings I call "East Meets West". The first being my painting "Boba"

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

In May 2015, Rotofugi Gallery hosted my "Headspace (Reboot)" show. To be honest, "Headspace (Reboot)" is a show I created to promote my upcoming release with Munky King. That sounds kind of cold, but I can't deny that the "Headspace" sculpt was on my mind when I planned the show out.
Regardless, when I first conceived of "Headspace" (in 2012), it was my attempt to give credit to everything I love or hold dear to my being. In it, a bear removes his head to reveal something underneath. The things underneath range from pop culture icons, to artists whom I consider important or influential to my understanding of contemporary art, to graphic musings about removing ones head.
I arranged the paintings in 4 different sizes. These sizes help illustrate their importance in the series.
The largest painting (24" x 30") is a self portrait. The second largest (16" x 20") is relegated to my 5 most "important" characters: Bear, Rabbit, Monkey, Chicken, and Skull. These 5 characters are also definitely going to be made into heads for the toy line.. The 3rd size (11" x 14") are designated for designs that we plan on making as heads, and the smallest paintings (8" x 10") are mostly new ideas.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

I'm thrilled to announce my newest project, which is very near and dear to my heart: "Dissected." This brand new vinyl sculpture is based on my "Anthropomorphized" painting, which reveals that my bears are more human than anyone realized!

To produce this amazing piece, I've created my very first Kickstarter campaign alongside my partners for this project, Clutter Magazine and Unbox Industries. I've never crowdfunded anything before and I'm eager to engage with my fans in a way I never have before while making this dream a reality.

This month, I have the honor of being the cover artist for the latest issue of Clutter Magazine. There is also an in depth interview with me. In it I go over everything from art, to toys, to my past, and what I've got lined up in the immediate future.

The magazine is available for free where indie/designer toys are sold, or you can order one from Clutter Magazine.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Nuvango (the company formally known as Gelaskins) is coming out with some exciting products! Check out this sample of a t-shirt we'll be offering soon. They're also going to be making pillows too (though I'm not sure how I feel about those).

Monday, January 26, 2015

I've decided to shut down my STORENVY site. Storenvy were forcing me to use STRIPE, which would then force me to have to open a different accounts, one to handle financial transaction and another to handle shipping. I want all my transactions to be in one place, and forcing me to have to have a STRIPE account is not only annoying, it complicates things for me and my assistant. Anyways, I've decided to move to BIG CARTEL. My new store URL is:

About Me

Born in Philadelphia, but tragically raised in Fresno, Luke Chueh (pronounced CHU) attended California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obipso, where he earned a BS in Art & Design (Graphic Design concentration).
In 2003, Luke started pursuing a career as a studio artist, quickly working his way up the ranks of the "Pop Surrealist / Low Brow" art scene, establishing himself as an artist not to be ignored. Employing minimal color schemes, simple animal characters, and a seemingly endless list of ill-fated situations, Chueh stylistically balances cute with brute, walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy.